plaster of Paris

plaster of Paris

n.

Any of a group of gypsum cements, essentially hemihydrated calcium sulfate, CaSO₄· ¹/₂ H₂O, a white powder that forms a paste when it is mixed with water and then hardens into a solid, used in making casts, molds, and sculpture.

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[Middle English, after Paris², France.]

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plaster of Paris

n

1. a white powder that sets to a hard solid when mixed with water, used for making sculptures and casts, as an additive for lime plasters, and for making casts for setting broken limbs. It is usually the hemihydrate of calcium sulphate, 2CaSO₄.H₂O

2. the hard plaster produced when this powder is mixed with water: a fully hydrated form of calcium sulphate Sometimes shortened to plaster

[from Medieval Latin plastrum parisiense, originally made from the gypsum of Paris]

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plaster of Paris  (plstr)

A form of calcium phosphate derived from gypsum. It is mixed with water to make casts and molds.

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plaster of Paris - So called because it is prepared from the gypsum of Paris, France.

See also related terms for plaster.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

plaster of Paris - any of several gypsum cements; a white powder (a form of calcium sulphate) that forms a paste when mixed with water and hardens into a solid; used in making molds and sculptures and casts for broken limbs plaster gesso - gypsum or plaster of Paris spread on a surface to make it suitable for painting or gilding (or a surface so prepared) gypsum - a common white or colorless mineral (hydrated calcium sulphate) used to make cements and plasters (especially plaster of Paris) calcium sulfate, calcium sulphate - a white salt (CaSO4)

Translations

plaster of Paris n → gesso